Education, Youth and Culture
The Education, Youth and Culture (EYC) Council brings together Ministers responsible for education, culture, youth and communications. The EYC Council usually meets three or four times a year. During Finland’s EU Presidency, the Council will convene once and the meeting will be chaired by Minister of Education, Antti Kalliomäki and Minister of Culture, Tanja Saarela.
Main issues
Finland's Presidency of the European Union will place particular emphasis on ways to promote European competitiveness in accordance with the Lisbon Strategy. The establishment of a European area of higher education, ways to modernise higher education and cooperation in the field of vocational training will be discussed as matters to be implemented under the Lisbon Strategy. In European cooperation the focus will be on the quality and effectiveness of education and equity of education. Finland underlines the importance of the various creative industries in improving economic growth, employment, and competitiveness.
In culture, the key themes will include the mobility of art and heritage collections and exchange of exhibitions. The aim is also to promote discussion on the Commission's proposal to amend the Television without Frontiers Directive on audiovisual services in order to bring it up to date with rapidly changing technology. In the youth sector, the focus will be on ways to improve the participation of youth and communications targeted to reach young people. The role of youth research in political decision making will also be discussed.
The objective is to finalise decisions on multi-annual cooperation programmes, including decisions on the most important financing instruments. The Action Programme in Lifelong Learning, the Culture 2007, MEDIA, Youth in Action, and Citizens for Europe Programmes must be in operation from the start of 2007.
Meetings
The informal meeting of EU ministers responsible for education will be held in Finland. The meeting will focus on vocational training. Finland will also host 16 civil servant meetings ranging from meetings of Directors-General to expert seminars.
More on this website:
- Other document, 19 Jul 2006, 10:40
en
fr
de
Letter by the Minister of Culture, Tanja Saarela, to her colleagues - Other document, 12 Jul 2006, 16:44
en
fr
de
Letter by the Minister of Education, Antti Kalliomäki, to his colleagues
Links:
Presidency pages of the Ministry of Education
European Council: Education, Youth and Culture Council (EYC)
Europa: Education, Training, Youth
Europa: Research and Innovation
